What Could Have Been
by LoveBackwards
Summary: Ozai expects another night to waste away in his cell...until he gets an unexpected visitor.
1. Visitor

The former Fire Lord sat as he always did, in his small, dark cell, alone. He already had how many paces long and wide it was, he knew how may bars surrounded him, even the ones above him, and he could almost predict exactly what times he was to be fed. He almost knew when Zuko would seem to make a random visit as well, though it was mostly for the questioning of the whereabouts of his mother.

The cell disgusted Ozai more and more each day, the plainness, the dreary loneliness. He always felt as though he would talk to anyone, just for the sake of conversation, but as soon as anyone entered the room, he would glare or grumble, ignoring them like he had the right; like he had _any_ rights anymore.

He heard a clank and didn't budge from where it was he sat. The sound the large, metal door made had grown on him and the last thing it ever did was startle or make him anxious and curious. He heard a set of light feet pad towards him and remained staring at the ground.

Zuko wanted to know where she was, when she had been sent there, if he had any information on her relocating, ect. It was time the boy moved on from his mother's disappearance and be grateful she left to spare his worthless life.

He felt his eyebrow twitch when the shadow cast over him didn't move. He glanced up and realized it was too dark to make out who was gracing him with his presence. The only light he was provided was that of the moon.

He could see a hooded figure, staring down at him, and at first he gave a skeptical eye. Zuko wouldn't have to disguise himself, nor would anyone else in the palace.

"What to you want?" He grumbled, knotting his brows together, acting as though he knew who was here.

"…Ozai." A faint voice whispered, and he watched a thin, bony hand cover the area under the hood he presumed to be the person's mouth. A soft growl made its way from his throat and his glare deepened.

"What do you want already?" He asked again, though his voice wasn't anything like it used to be. It wasn't strong, firm, demanding; now it was raspy, weak, and pitiful. He hated the way he sounded now, so he scarcely spoke. It's not like anyone really took notice anyways. He wasn't Fire Lord, he was a mocked prisoner now.

"Ozai…" The whisper came again, only this time the figure crouched before him and he remained sitting against his wall. He wasn't about to run for some peasant who might wish to free him, who supported him. He knew how incapable they were and how easily they'd go against their word for money or some food. Nobody ever missed his leadership enough to properly strategize him escaping. "Ozai…it's me." The voice was louder now, it was a delicate feminine voice, but it was one that he knew. He had heard it before, so once again, he raised his head and felt himself gape.

Her pale, porcelain skin reflected the moonlight with her golden eyes, that seemed welled up with tears. Her soft, pink lips were in a frown and her dark brown hair was tucked in the back of the hood. He just stared for a few moments, not sure what to say or how to even respond.

"I came in about two days ago…I heard what happened and…I wanted to see if you were well." She whispered, gently holding her hand through the bars of his cell. He slowly moved his body forward, still staring blankly into her eyes. She smiled lightly and stroked his cheek.

"…Ursa." He mumbled, though it was barely audible. Her smile remained as she nodded, absentmindedly stroking his cheek.

"…it didn't have to be this way, Ozai. You could have turned this whole war around…you could have bettered yourself." She pulled her hand back and he subconsciously pulled away at the same time, realizing he was leaning into her hand. He went back to his wall.

"That war…past tense, there isn't a this war anymore." He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"There's still a war…a civil one here for your followers and…the other nations, the Earth Kingdom in particular, that aren't able to look passed the wickedness done by our nation…people are still fighting." She explained and stopped when she saw a smirk on his face.

"Good." Was his simple response; she let out a sigh.

"You haven't changed…your months alone in here…there's still no hope for you." She looked down to her lap and he felt a pang of guilt. She bit down on her bottom lip and he reached out and caressed her arm, causing her to blink up at him.

"There was never hope for me, Ursa." He said in a voice he hardly recognized. It was his previous voice, stern, serious, and it made her heart sink. She looked into his emotionless eyes. "There's never been any good in me, and there won't be." He pulled his hand away, knowing that was a lie. She was the good in him. She was always his positive influence, at least the one he would hear out. Once she left, he had nobody. Power overcame him with ease.

She pushed his ivory strands of hair out his face and he allowed her, watching her delicate fingertips. His face was worn; it looked almost sunken-in, tired, he was exhausted. He had managed to keep his body in check, well-toned, but his face showed his worry, or maybe just his sickness of being here.

"There will always be a place for you in my heart, Ozai." She whispered and he remained silent. She stood up and he quickly looked up and stopped himself from reaching for her. He watched as she dug in her robe and pulled out a set of keys, unlocking his cell. To his surprise, he didn't make any attempts to flee. She let herself in, and then locked the cell once again behind her, causing him to arch a curious brow.

She courteously sat beside him on the cold, stone floor of his cell and he kept his gaze ahead of him, careful not to meet her eyes. She wrapped one arm around his shoulder and pulled him down to lean on her, softly stroking his hair. He allowed her to and shifted his wait until he was comfortable.

"…things could have been so different." She said again, though now she, too, was staring off into space.

"Ursa…don't dwell on what could've been or what could be…don't worry about my future or what will become of either of us…just focus on now, and the time we have together, even if it's only tonight."

And that's just what she did.

…_Continue?_


	2. Invitation

Zuko sat at the head of the table, only glancing to his mother every so often. She sat at one side and Mai the other.

When Ursa first arrived, it was a deeply emotional moment. So much was to be told, and over the course of two days, it seemed all they did was talk and reform the broken bond. This morning, however, the former Fire Lady seemed to have nothing to say. Her half open eyelids revealed her lack of sleep, her sloppily done hair showed her tiredness, and her puffy eyes revealed the tears she shed previously. She didn't meet her son's gaze, though. She focused contently on her food, slowly chewing each bite. Zuko cleared his throat and both women looked over to him, Mai more quickly than Ursa.

"Is everything alright?" He asked; all his attention on Ursa. Mai let out a soft sigh before going back to her food while Ursa nodded.

"Everything's fine, dear." She placed her hand over his and gave him her heartwarming smile. He hesitantly returned it, concerned for her. "I just had a hard time getting to sleep, that's all." She assured, stroked his hand lightly, and finished eating her meal.

"…alright."

"I'm going to freshen up." She pecked the side of his forehead and he closed his eyes as she did so, and then watched her swiftly walk away.

"What do you think happened?" Mai asked in her usual tone. Tension between her and Zuko had grown since the pressures of war applied more to their relationship. They both had duties to attend too, so even in their spare time; they had always been snippy with each other, irritable and distant. Oh, how she missed him.

"I'm not sure…" Zuko shrugged, still staring in the distance his mother had gone off in. Maybe she had a nightmare, or a reoccurred memory? Perhaps she was in fear, or just worry. There were so many possibilities that it was impossible for Zuko to narrow it down in one moment. "I have a meeting." He quickly pecked her on the cheek and dismissed himself from the table. She remained silent, bit her bottom lip, and pushed the leftover food back and forth across her plate.

All she seemed to do lately was question their marriage.

Ursa stared blankly in the mirror. Even after bathing and attempting to put her mind and body at ease, she looked so distraught. She awoke at sunrise, only then going from his cell to her room, though she hardly ever slept. She couldn't help but watch over him, he had been through a lot, though she knew he did it to himself. He was still her husband. She put her crimson robe on, tied it at the waist, and went to her chambers.

Digging through the small bag of personal belongings she had brought with her and went into the side pocket. She gripped the small piece of gold between her fingertips and pulled it out. For a few moments, she simply stared at her wedding band; occasionally twirling it with her thumb.

When they were young, things had been so different. He was happy, not miserable enough to try to destroy the world. She remembered the first time she saw his face, she knew she was his then.

'_My Beloved, Ursa'_

Was inscribed in the gold ring. She glanced around her from her seat at the foot of the bed before slipping it on her ring finger, smiling to herself.

She felt the tears again. It wasn't that she was crying over his imprisonment, it was she that had warned him so many years ago, she was crying over loss. It was selfish for her to, but she couldn't help it. It had never occurred to her how much change had happened until she arrived back.

Her only daughter, her princess, was in a mental ward, no longer able to behave in a civil manner. Her son was scarred for life for speaking of peace in a war room, by her husband. And her husband, the great and powerful Ozai, finally had his punishment for all his evil: life in prison, never to be freed.

Where did all of this leave her?

Obviously she would stay in her beloved nation that now welcomed her. She would help her son anyway she could, and of course his wife, Mai. She yearned to see her daughter, to comfort her, as any mother would. She prayed for her husband. She wanted his soul to be safe, for him to at least forgive himself, for she knew nobody else would. She wiped the tears from her golden orbs and clenched her ringed hand into a fist. She wouldn't pity herself, she would move forward.

But she knew she had to see him again. And she couldn't promise that it would be only once.

Iroh made his way into the dimly-lit prison as quietly as possible. As much as he hated his brother's actions, he couldn't forever hate him. And so, every month of the year, he came by once, with tea and company, which was the greatest gift he felt he could give his troubled brother.

He sat outside the cell with his small trey and began properly making the tea, ignoring Ozai's sneer.

"How have you been, brother?" Iroh asked as he neatly placed the cup of tea in front of his brother, through the bars. He merely chuckled when he got no response. "I'm guessing nothing worth talking about?" He smiled and sipped his tea.

"Why do you waste your time here?" Ozai gritted his teeth and Iroh placed his own cup beside him.

"Ozai, no matter what, you will always be my younger brother. To play out my role as your older brother, I will always be here to help guide and support you." He explained.

"Guide me through living in a cage?" Ozai scoffed and Iroh frowned.

"You're only taking your punishment for your heinous actions, brother." Iroh took another sip, now his expression was stern. Ozai rolled his eyes in response. "I am not sure if I should tell you this…but Lady Ursa has found her way back."

"I know." Ozai muttered and stopped when he saw his brother arched bushy brows.

"You know?" He inquired and he sighed.

"The guards didn't shut up last night." He carelessly waved his hand to dismiss the topic. Azula wasn't born with the ability to lie, he had been able to for as long as he could remember now. It wasn't that he cared that his brother knew he knew whether or not she was here, just that it might tarnish part of her reputation, or maybe raise suspicion. She didn't need punishment.

"Ah, so I see." Iroh gave him the look that had haunted him throughout his life. It said 'I know that you're lying, but won't acknowledge it'. He knew Ozai hadn't found out from the guards; he was the only one who could read Ozai like a book. "So…what was it they said?"

"Why does it matter?" Ozai demanded and Iroh continued to hold his cheerful smile.

"Why don't you drink your tea, before it gets cold?" His brother offered full heartedly and Ozai grimaced.

"What for?"

"Well once it's finished, I will gladly leave you to your prior engagements, no sense in wasting tea." He watched Ozai finish it in one swig, but gladly noticed no traces of disgust on his face. Maybe he had finally grown accustom to this monthly ritual, or maybe anything seemed good compared to the food he was eating. Ozai pushed the cup back near his brother and he put it on the trey. It was a short, but satisfying, visit this month.

"Be on your way." Ozai shooed.

"I believe she still has strong feelings for you, brother. If your heart isn't completely overcome with darkness, I'm sure you feel the same way." And with that, Iroh turned on his heel and left. Ozai stared in more a state of shock than anything.

Tonight, he lay on his back, he hardly stretched or tried to exercise his body like had before, when he first arrived. Now, it didn't seem worth it. Who had he to impress? Granted he lost some weight of muscle, only a little, though. His back was sore from always sitting now, so which was worth the struggle, exercising for him or lower back pain?

He sighed and closed his eyes with his hands folded across his stomach. He heard the door clank and for the first time in a while, he felt his body jump. He instinctively sat up and let his eyes scan the darkness, looking up when a figure appeared outside his bars.

Ursa kneeled before him, her eyes piercing through the darkness. She held up a set of neatly folded clothes.

"They aren't much…but I figured they wouldn't go missed." She smiled and he eyed her.

"For what?" He was of course given clothes to wear, just not as often as he liked. He preferred not to think about his times as Fire Lord, he would start to miss everyday luxuries again.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk with me…in the private garden. It's too late for anyone to be there, and just in case, this is a guard's uniform, I can just say I was scared to walk alone." She explained and he blinked. The Ursa he had previously known was too naïve to think of something devious as this; he assumed she developed this skill in her time away. Or maybe he was just unknowingly rubbing off on her. He ignored the 'paranoia' excuse and faintly smiled, he liked the way her mind was working. She gave him a puzzled look, not understanding his expression. "Would you like come for the walk?" She asked again and he snapped himself out of his daze.

He felt as though his reflexes were slow, his ability to make conversation was worn. And right now, he couldn't even focus on what she was saying to give a solid answer.

"…I'd like that." He said, after only slight hesitation.


	3. Thoughts

Together they walked, arms entwined, down the moonlit path in Ursa's private garden. She smiled as she saw the flowers; the crisp night breeze gently pushed the petals in the same direction. She pulled her husband down to sit with her, on a lone stone bench under a tree.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She looked over as he unmasked his face. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath; it was definitely more refreshing than his damp cell. She let him do so, remembering it had been months since he'd set foot outside. She rested her head on his shoulder and he jumped a little at the contact. "…sorry." She whispered.

"It's fine." He kept his posture up, shoulders back; it almost seemed like a stretch it had been so long. He had given up on appearances a while back. She nodded in response and set her head back where it was, he began absent mindedly running his fingers through her loose brunette curls.

"Remember when we first met?" She asked in a soft tone, closing her eyes as though that brought the memory back. She heard a light chuckle from his pursed lips and her content smile grew.

"Yes…I didn't like you then." He admitted and she blinked up, knotting her brows together.

"Why didn't you like me?" She huffed and he glanced over to her. His expression was serious, as it always was, but his eyes held some amusement. The warm feeling they had given her.

"You were always such an…optimist. It was an arranged marriage after all." He shrugged the topic off casually.

"Well…I always thought you were too assertive…assertive and finicky." She giggled and he sighed. "But…by the time Zuko was born, I loved you." She confessed and he nodded, taking it in. "I was thinking about traveling." She looked down to her lap and he eyed her skeptically.

"What? You haven't done that enough that past ten or so years?" He scoffed and her glare hardened.

"It was seven years, and I was in hiding so things were different. I want to really make a difference, hands on…the Earth Kingdom really needs…" She was cut off.

"No, forget going all the way back out there to those ungrateful fools. What about your home nation? The one that's getting neglected its rights?" He went on.

"Ozai…we've taken so much from everyone, its time we give." It sounded like a lecture, one he'd hear from his brother, too.

"You cant go there." He rolled his eyes.

"And why not?"

"Because…you'd be separating yourself…" He tried to think of a cover, how to say shed be leaving more than just him behind. She was the one that consumed his thoughts, that he was willing to love all over him, that allowed him to keep some sanity. He needed her, but the last thing she needed was him. He'd say Zuko needed her, but he didn't care about Zuko. He cared about himself.

"No…I'd always come back, I'd keep all the contact I could, Iroh actually mentioned it to me, he seemed willing to come along." She assured.

"Yeah…he would." Ozai grumbled and looked away.

"…what if you came with me?" She offered and he almost snapped his neck to look back to her. Had she lost her mind now? Maybe she did need him, but she had fallen off the deep end.

"Ursa…the whole world knows who I am." He couldn't restrain his malice smile from that statement. He would always be known for his rein of power, something in that seemed to make him proud. "I can't go to the nation I planned to destroy."

"Surely you could change your appearance…I mean you've lost some weight…some Earth Kingdom robes…cut your hair maybe." She started using her hands and he blinked at her.

"Leave my hair out of this." He argued and she sighed.

"You could turn your life around there…with me." She added and for the first time in a while, Ozai hesitated to say no. He yearned for a life of freedom, but could he honestly handle it anymore? She should all people should know he wanted revenge.

"You expect nobody to notice I'm missing too I inquire?" He shook his head. She frowned and traced the lines on his hand.

"…I'm sure we could arrange something."

"No, Ursa, I'm not some lowlife, no name prisoner. I'm former Fire Lord, Lord of the nation that almost took control of the world."

"…I'm sure we could arrange something." She whispered again and he sighed. She pulled his arm around her shoulder. "But we'll worry about that when the time comes.

"Nephew!" Iroh called as he struggled to catch up to the Fire Lord, who was already heading to his chambers for rest.

"Yes, Uncle?" He sighed, stopping short in the hallway.

"I was speaking with your mother about a vacation, to the Earth Kingdom!" He chuckled and Zuko rolled his eyes.

"She mentioned briefly to me going there for aid…I think its too risky for her, though." He sighed.

"I thought we could round up everyone from before…all your friends, make a trip out of it."

"Uncle…no. we have duties here, we couldn't be more unstable than we are now." HE explained, secretly wishing for a vacation. A time of relaxation, maybe release some tension between he and Mai, but he had priorities.

"Well if you feel you find the time, please, let me know and I could arrange to stay here for you." He placed a caring hand on Zuko's shoulder and Zuko, in turn, smiled. He knew he could trust his uncle; the idea was definitely something he would think over. "I will also send all the invitations, if that is what you wish." Iroh pulled him in for a hug before stretching on his way to his own room.

_Sorry this one's short…wanted to give you guys something…review please (:?_

_And I have a poll for a Modern AU couple I might start a fic for…everyone gets two votes so go for it! Message any ideas you have as well, I might put some to use!_


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